Richer, Richest
by girlgladiator
Summary: Your name is Kaede, and you are one of the richest people in Domino City. But you are waiting for something to make your life just a little bit richer. (Kaiba/OC, 2nd person perspective)
1. Three Losses, Three Proposals

**Author's Notes:** _This story only exists here because of the encouragement of a few friends that wanted to read about Kaede. I will probably only update sporadically, and I've written it so that each chapter is sort of a miniature story on its own. It's heavily based on events from the manga for now, with a few exceptions. If you like this story, please encourage me in the comments, that's the best way to ensure there are more chapters. Thanks for reading._

 **i.**

You remember the hushed tone of voice with which your father informed you,

"Gozaburo Kaiba is dead."

You remember his eyes as he watched, waiting for you to comprehend what his statement meant.

—

You are sixteen years old, death is only beginning to have meaning for you. This death should not have meant much, except that you were tied up in a complex engagement to Gozaburo Kaiba's oldest son.

At sixteen years old, he is just barely old enough to take his own custody. Suddenly, a fairytale wedding you had imagined in your future is a vanishing dream. When you've been engaged since you were a child, you don't question the ethics of marrying someone your parents chose. You close your eyes and try to picture a bright future with the person you're tied to. That bright future now has a dark cloud over it as one of the participants is suddenly faced with an unexpected alternative: choice.

As his own keeper Seto Kaiba could now marry whoever he decided. There had been no contract to tie him to you in the event of his guardian's death, something neither Gozaburo Kaiba nor your own parents had the mindset to foresee. Your father suggests you call him. You wonder what you might have to say.

"I'm sorry for your loss," you mumble into the receiver, "my condolences."

"Thank you," he replies. It sounds as though he wants to hang up, but you hang on for a few more moments.

"You must be very busy, with all your relatives… funeral arrangements…"

"That's been taken care of." He is unsentimental. You think it must be from shock.

"Well if you need someone to talk to, I'm happy to make myself available," you propose.

"That won't be necessary." This time he really hangs up the phone.

 **ii.**

You aren't around to witness the second loss, the one that drives him to bury himself in his work. You find out later, when you call again and ask to visit, and his younger brother Mokuba informs you that he's focused on Duel Monsters right now and won't see anyone except on business.

It's tempting for you to say you are business – doesn't he remember a certain business arrangement involving a girl he's supposed to marry – but you say nothing. A few days later he calls about a renovation permit for the theme park his company is building. You are cordial but forward him to your father when you can't take his emotionless tone any longer.

Later in the week you drop by to deliver the paperwork.

"I heard you're really into Duel Monsters again. Maybe we could play," you propose.

You think you see the hint of a smile, or maybe just a smirk, passing his lips before he responds.

"I prefer my duels to be challenging. Besides, I'm waiting for a rematch with a certain person at the moment. It would be a waste for me to duel anyone until I've defeated him."

You don't respond but nod curtly, taking the hint that you should leave. Mokuba sees you to the door. Once you're outside, he offers an apology.

"Sorry about my brother. He's been acting kind of funny since he lost at Duel Monsters recently for the first time in his life."

"Is there anything we can do?" You ask.

Mokuba shrugs, "I tried to get revenge for him by beating the kid that beat him, but I lost too. That Yugi is pretty tough when it comes to games. But wait 'til you see what big brother has in store for him!"

You force your best fake smile and leave the premises before your emotions get the best of you.

 **iii.**

A regular high-schooler does not build an entire theme park dedicated to defeating his rival. A regular high-schooler doesn't hire serial killers and set death traps for someone they dislike. But Seto Kaiba is not a regular high-schooler. You find this out when you receive an advance ticket to Kaiba Land, for a special attraction called "Death-T."

From the audience you watch as Seto puts a group of his fellow high school students through trials such as deadly games of laser tag and life-risking horror-themed amusement rides. You watch his rivals forced to battle it out locked in a house with a serial killer, until they finally make it back to the main stage to face the Kaiba brothers at Duel Monsters.

Where is the princely figure you imagined would sweep you off your feet at twenty years old? Here is a sixteen year old boy so consumed by revenge that he's willing to kill for it. You knew he was obsessed with games, but no longer do you believe his obsession is innocent.

In the final battle, a strange thing happens. The boy Yugi manages to rise above all the adversity and defeat Seto at his beloved card game. As the match ends, Seto slumps in his chair. His brilliant blue eyes are suddenly empty. His mouth hangs open. This is a totally different kind of loss.

Yugi announces that Seto's evil mind has been crushed, and he must put the pieces of his heart back together by himself. Your betrothed looks comatose, and you will later learn that in fact, he is. But for now you sit spellbound and listen to Mokuba tell a horrific story of abandonment and abuse, starring Seto and himself. Gozaburo Kaiba was a tyrant who worked his oldest son to the bone and only managed to teach him one lesson: that defeat is equal to death.

You free yourself from the audience as the crowd moves to leave after Yugi. On the stage you find Mokuba, shaking his brother's body, trying to wake him up.

"We should call an ambulance," you hear yourself say. When Mokuba doesn't reply, you pull out your cellphone and do it anyway.

Paramedics come and take the three of you to hospital. You stay with Mokuba in the waiting room to hear news of Seto's condition. Hours tick by with agonizing slowness. You fan through the deck of cards in your purse, wishing that you could throw them away. What good has Duel Monsters ever done for you?

A nurse finally approaches, her expression grim.

"I'm afraid we don't know when he will wake up," she informs you. "He may be permanently afflicted."

Permanently comatose. You wish your mind would stop jumping to conclusions like "the nurse is lying" and "Yugi should be punished for this" and "now I'll never get married." None of those thoughts are entirely reasonable. In the flurry of your emotions, amidst the sound of Mokuba crying, you hear yourself make another foolish proposal, as you always do:

"I'll take care of him."


	2. Terminal

You visit the hospital every day that Seto Kaiba is there. Patiently, you sit with Mokuba and listen to him tell you stories about their time at the orphanage. He starts to refer to you with an endearing nickname that makes it hard for you to skip even a day of visits.

"Kae-chan, you'll be back tomorrow, right?"

"Of course."

When they finally allow Seto to come home, it's conditional – they insist his state is terminal, and what they're doing is a comfort to the family. He needs round-the-clock care. Mokuba assigns a maid this task and hires a nurse for checkups. You exist to walk him in the gardens in his wheelchair and, mostly, to keep Mokuba company.

Your visits can last hours. Back at home, your tutor berates your attention span when you aren't skipping schooling sessions. Your father puts up with your behaviour because he is preoccupied with the family real estate business, which is going well as usual. You haven't been helping him as you used to, so he has quite a workload.

At your next visit you notice a locket tied around Seto's neck.

"It has a photo of us from when we were in the orphanage," Mokuba explains. "I made matching ones for me and big brother."

You only nod in response.

"Yugi said big brother is putting back together the pieces of his heart," Mokuba continues, "but I was worried. Big brother once said there was no room for brotherly affection in gaming. So what if he's missing that piece of his heart? With that locket, he's got a piece of me wherever he goes. Maybe it will help him solve the puzzle!"

Bitterly, you wonder if you were ever significant enough in Seto's life to merit being your own puzzle piece. But you shut out your selfish thoughts when you see Mokuba's smile.

"It's a good idea, isn't it?" He asks.

"Yes, Mokuba."

Who knows, tomorrow you might stop by and visit only to find that like a slumbering prince, your betrothed has been woken by that locket and wants to see you. How grateful he would be for your attention and care! What a change of heart he will have had after struggling through the terrible ordeal placed before him by his rival! Perhaps he would even sweep you off your feet then and there.

You look down at the comatose prince and sigh. What are you doing all of this for? If you're hoping he'll wake up, you should have listened to the nurses. You should be taking him for what he is and appreciating what you have.

—

Days turn to weeks turn to months. You begin to study again and to practice Duel Monsters again, something you never thought you would do. You hear news of a competition called Duelist Kingdom, where the best of the best are gathering to play cards with each other in an event that will be broadcast world-wide. You wish you could go, but since you've been on a hiatus, you haven't built enough acclaim to merit an invitation. In a fleeting moment you think, that wouldn't have been a problem for Seto.

When you go to visit the next day, Mokuba is not there to greet you. A frantic maid lets you into the house, crying,

"Talk some sense into him!"

Before you can ask who, he appears suddenly, dressed like royalty in a long purple coat. It's been so long since you've seen him in anything but hospital pyjamas. You're unable to speak.

"Why is she here?" Seto asks before even looking at you. "Why are you here?" He resigns to asking you when no one else will answer.

"I came to visit, like I do every day. It's nice to see you're awake…"

"Mokuba's been taken."

"He wasn't here when you woke up?"

"No! And I know where he is, too. I'm going to Duelist Kingdom to get him back."

"You're going… so soon? You just woke up, surely you're in no condition to–"

"You can't stop me from going. I'm not even sure why you would come to visit me, but I will deal with that later. I have to leave now to get Mokuba back!"

You want to argue more, but when you see the determination in his eyes you know it's over. You've never seen him look that way for anything but a game. Yet now he was worried about his younger brother? Something has changed, and begrudgingly, you admit it's for the better, even if you it means you won't be getting the fairytale ending you'd hoped for.

"I guess there isn't anything I can do to help," you finally respond.

"No," says Seto. He turns to leave the house. "Call my helicopter," he tells one of his servants.

You turn to leave as well, then think well enough of yourself to ask one last question.

"Will you call me once you have him back safe?"

You can feel steely blue eyes reading your face for any hints to what you're thinking.

"Fine."

You watch as the helicopter whisks your prince away to rescue someone else.


	3. Fauna and Flora

The sound of helicopter blades fades into the distance as you get into the car. Your driver asks if anything's on your mind, but you find yourself unable to answer right away.

"Sorry, I don't want to talk about it," you manage to reply.

The drive home is long and slow, traffic-logged. You spend the ride reflecting on the past.

The feeling of soft leather seats and sounds of passing cars outside begin to blur away. You are in a great ballroom. A party is being held in your honour. You are twelve years old.

Guests approach you one at a time and offer gifts: an enormous teddy bear, a designer dress, a library of encyclopedias. An older looking man with a greying moustache appears, holding the shoulders of a boy about your age. The boy has sharply cut brown hair and sky-blue eyes. He is hiding something in his hands. He doesn't speak.

Your mother and father appear at your side.

"This is Mister Gozaburo Kaiba," they say. You look up at the old man, and he laughs.

"I'm not the one who needs an introduction. This is Seto Kaiba, my son." Gozaburo gestures at the boy, who suddenly looks away.

"Kaede," your father calls you. "There is another birthday present we need to tell you about." Your mother sighs.

"What, Ran?" Your father addresses your mother, momentarily forgetting you exist.

"Making this out to be a birthday present when it's a business arrangement between you and Kaiba Corporation… that's a little cold don't you think, Kenichi?" she asks, her voice quiet, like she is keeping what she says secret even though she is saying it in front of your face.

"How else am I supposed to give her the news? Kaede, darling, you know how princesses get married to princes from other kingdoms to help unite their countries?"

You nod, understanding where the conversation is about to go.

"Well consider yourself the princess of Hakudo Real Estate Incorporated. One day, you're going to get married, and we've made arrangements for you to marry this nice young man who will be the successor to… er, the prince of Kaiba Corporation. The two biggest businesses in Domino City will be run by one couple! Don't you think that's fabulous?"

You smile at your father, politely acknowledging how he has tried to lighten a serious discussion with his analogy of princes and princesses. Then you look at Seto. Gozaburo backs away from the boy.

"Why don't we leave them alone for a few minutes while we… discuss business," he says.

You approach Seto. His shoulders relax as the adults follow Gozaburo and head off to a corner of the grand room to continue their conversation.

"Hello," you say, "pleased to make your acquaintance." Your manners are impeccable.

Seto frowns.

"Are you not having a good time at the party?" You ask, genuinely curious.

"I have better things to be doing." He says bluntly. "I was forbidden to miss this event though. Here. I brought you a birthday gift."

Ignoring his attitude, you extend your hands to accept what he places in them. It's small, and thin but sturdy – a playing card. On one side, there is nothing but a swirling black hole; on the other, a picture of a tiny green fairy and some shimmering text.

"Flora the Plant Princess," you read, "when this card is attacked… you can redirect the attack to one of your other monsters. Is this from a game?"

"It's called Duel Monsters. It's very popular in America." Seto says. "I thought a card like that would be fitting for a rich girl like you."

Until that point you had been doing well at hiding your distaste for his rudeness, but this statement was the final straw.

"As if you weren't born into a wealthy family yourself!" You announce, perhaps a bit too loudly as several nearby people stop and stare at you.

"I'm adopted," Seto says quietly.

Heat rises to your cheeks and you stutter, trying to find words.

"You're right by what you meant though," he finally admits. "I'm a rich kid now too." He turns to leave, perhaps to locate his father.

"Wait…" You call after him.

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me more about this… Duel Monsters?"

"Really? You want to know how to play?" His expression changes. "I brought my deck. But don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a newbie."

"Miss Kaede," a voice interrupts your daydream. It's the driver. "We've arrived."

You live with your father in the penthouse of Hakudo Apartments, the tallest complex in Domino City. Here you were, parked in front of the lobby and reception, stunning velvet carpet and gold trim shining out at you from the rotating front doors that beckoned you home.

"Thank you," you say to the driver as you exit the car. Inside the lobby you take the private elevator straight to the top floor. Your father should be at work now, you have the house to yourself.

You enter your pristine bedroom and sit on your leopard-print comforter, taking a moment to examine the view from your floor-to-ceiling windows. Normally, these would be covered by zebra-print drapes, but you left them open this morning for reasons you aren't quite sure of.

The sight of the city is comforting. You look to the horizon to see if you can spy a helicopter in the distance, but have no luck. Then you rummage through your purse to find the one thing you can hold on to in this moment: your Duel Monsters deck.

You rifle through the cards to find it, holographic print dulled over time but still visible. Flora the Plant Princess. Her soft green appearance makes you smile as you drift back into your memories.


	4. The Call

You weren't there when he was betrayed in the helicopter, nearly killed by men he once trusted, saved only by a card and a moment of instinct. You weren't there when he piloted the helicopter safely to the island by himself, and disembarked in foreign territory to rescue his little brother.

When he was refused access to the castle and had to hold a member of staff hostage just to get an audience with Mokuba's kidnapper, you weren't around. You couldn't know his anguish when, after a year of separation, he saw his little brother malnourished and mind-wiped, sitting alone in a cell. He was told if he wanted a chance to save Mokuba, he would have to duel the only player he's ever lost to. His duel with Yugi came down to a life-or-death situation for him, but you were unaware it was happening at all.

When he finally got to face Pegasus, literally fighting for his brother's life, and he lost, you weren't there. You didn't see his soul trapped in a card-prison, the same way Mokuba had been captured. You were oblivious to his despair.

You could not become his hope in this dark time. Only Yugi, champion of the Duelist Kingdom tournament, had the opportunity to challenge Pegasus for a prize, and claimed the Kaiba brothers' souls as part of his spoils if he won. When Yugi defeated even the creator of Duel Monsters himself in order to free his former rivals, you did not have a chance to say thank you. You weren't there. You didn't know.

The whole while these events were transpiring, you were sitting in a Domino City café, drinking fresh brewed coffee and writing in your journal the events of the days before.

 _Yesterday I called father to inform him that Seto had woken up. He didn't answer at work or on his cell. I assume he's just busy, but lately he's been coming home after I've gone to bed, so I hope he's alright. Today there was still no news from Duelist Kingdom. The tournament should be ending soon, so hopefully Seto has found Mokuba alright._

You sipped your coffee and pondered what to write next. While tumultuous events were taking place on Pegasus's island, you weren't doing much of anything. You rehearsed Duel Monsters strategy, wrote about your feelings, ate and slept normally. You waited for a promised phone call.

—

Days later, you are sitting on your bed at home flipping through a magazine when the call finally comes.

"Hello?" You answer tentatively.

"Mokuba is home safe." A terse, familiar voice blurts out.

"That's good. Thank you for remembering to call me."

"One more thing," says Seto. You wait for him to tell you what that thing is, but there is only lingering silence.

"What's on your mind?" You finally ask.

"Mokuba told me I should thank you. I make a habit of always repaying my debts," he explains, "but since I was… incapacitated… while you were apparently taking care of me, I don't remember any of it. I don't really feel like I owe you anything. But Mokuba insists."

"I understand–"

"No, you don't. I am indebted to someone for reasons I have no recollection of. It's painful. I would like to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, so if you have anything to request of me as repayment, please do so right away."

"You don't owe me anything–"

"Oh, but I do. If you have nothing to ask of me now, then I guess I will have to settle my debt later. I know your family is well-off, there might not be anything you can think of right away, however–"

"A date," you reply suddenly, cutting him off.

"What?"

"I want… to go on a date. With you."

You can hardly believe what you're saying yourself, but the sudden courage you found to speak your mind will likely wear off soon, so you try to make the most of it.

"If you're not sure where to take me, we can just go out for dinner," you offer, trying to avoid the impending awkward silence. You are unsuccessful and quiet takes over as he processes what you've asked of him. Then, at last, after what feels like minutes, you hear a sigh.

"I guess it's not too much to ask. We can go to my favourite restaurant. I'm very busy right now, so I'll have to fit you into my schedule…"

"I'm free Saturday at 7pm," you insist, trying to keep your cell phone still in your shaking hands.

"Fine. My driver will pick you up."

He hangs up immediately after, wasting no further words. A grin spreads across your face like wildfire. A date! A real date! You'd never been on one before, not unless the parentally supervised meetings you had had with Seto before counted as dates. Even then, all you would talk about is Duel Monsters. You didn't have much else in common.

And what would you talk about now? You could only hope he would offer a story about his daring rescue of Mokuba at Duelist Kingdom, since you know nothing of what really transpired there. Perhaps he would finally think to ask you about yourself – suddenly you find you are reciting in your mind a list of your favourite things (colour: green, animal: leopard, food: spaghetti neapolitan – which you suspect will not be on the menu at the restaurant he takes you to).

A date with Seto. You ought not be as nervous as you are, since you've been engaged for years. But that engagement is no longer certain. You wonder how you even found the will to ask for this. You know what you want though, and that's to get to know the person you were supposed to marry. If this all works out, after all, maybe you still will.


	5. Ryu Kitchen

It is 6:45 on Saturday evening. You are inspecting your outfit for any traces of imperfection as you wait in the lobby of Hakudo Apartments for your date to pick you up. Your black dress is short, just above the knee, and made of soft, flowing material. It has a band around your waist and very thin straps. You catch your reflection in the mirrored surface of the reception counter. Does your hair, with brown roots growing out over bleach blonde, look tacky? Are you wearing too much makeup?

You fidget with your silver clutch. You hope you look high class enough for the five-star restaurant Seto will be taking you to. Ryu Kitchen has a month-long waiting list that only someone with the Kaiba name could afford to skip. He probably has a private table in reserve. You wonder if he takes clients out for dinner like the average CEO, and then you realize that you don't really know what he does when he's not playing Duel Monsters.

Your cell phone rings, startling you from this chain of thought.

"I'm outside," says Seto. He promptly hangs up.

As gracefully as you can manage, you move through the lobby to the doors, taking one last glimpse at your reflection in the glass door. Outside, a sleek black car is waiting for you. You open the rear door for yourself and slide in next to your date.

He looks impeccable in a purple velvet jacket and white dress shirt (probably silk) with black dress pants. His jacket looks so soft you nearly reach out to touch it, but you think better and reach for your seatbelt instead as the driver pulls away from the curb. You are waiting for him to say something to break the ice, but awkward silence lingers. Finally, you comment:

"You look very nice tonight."

"Thank you," he replies begrudgingly.

"We _are_ going to Ryu Kitchen, aren't we?"

"I'm surprised you remember my favourite restaurant."

"Of course. It feels like we were only just there."

You had been to the restaurant once previously to celebrate Seto's sixteenth birthday. You recall Gozaburo laughing as he stated that it was the only place in town Seto would eat at. The rest of the ride passes in silence as you reminisce about your previous trip.

When you arrive at your destination, the driver lets you out before Seto. Your date exits from the other side of the car and suddenly you can feel his presence. He is standing close behind you. You find you are holding your breath and let it out all at once in a deep sigh.

"Well," he says, "let's get on with this."

You walk towards the restaurant. It is a tiny two-storey building hidden behind an enormous stone gate, with an illuminated path leading to the all-glass facade. A suited maitre d' is waiting at the entrance.

"Good evening mister Kaiba. Please follow me to be seated."

Seto follows the maitre d' and you follow Seto. The restaurant is sparsely populated but you can see that it's intentional. The tables have great gaps of space between them. In the centre of the restaurant is a grand staircase leading to the upper floor, which is where you are headed. Above, you find there are even fewer tables, all aligned to the windows for a spectacular view of the city.

The maitre d' seats you at a table in the corner of the restaurant. You can hardly hear the voices of the people seated nearest to you. It is the perfect private setting, or it would be, if you had private conversations to be holding. You speculate that there will be little to say at all.

Suddenly, you are overwhelmed with feelings of embarrassment. You don't want this date to be awkward any more. As Seto looks over the menu, you wrack your mind for something to say. Finally, you default to honesty.

"I'm sorry this is so awkward," you apologize.

"Hmph," comes the reply. "The situation is only awkward if you make it so. You're the one who requested this. Why do you feel uncomfortable?"

"Aren't dates supposed to be… romantic?" You ask without thinking.

"Kaede. Do you believe I am the romantic kind of man? Don't answer that question, I'll spare you. If you're expecting me to sweep you off your feet because we are previously engaged, you're wasting your time."

Your jaw drops. Is he actually discussing what you think he is?

"Don't take this the wrong way. I don't dislike you as a person. I find your personality a bit lacking, and you have a lot to learn about business, but ultimately you are a useful connection." He continues, "I don't intend to… put an end to our relationship yet. But don't overthink it."

Your mouth is still hanging open a little bit when he finishes his speech. Your palms are sweaty. Carefully, you contemplate your response.

"I kind of imagined we were friends, at least. I wanted us to be more than friends." You say.

He looks at you with a quizzical expression. "We're certainly not friends. I don't waste my valuable time just… being friendly with people."

"So we are more than friends?"

"You're an invaluable business connection. Let's leave it at that and order dinner."

And so you do. Of course, he is having the filet mignon. You order the only pasta dish on the menu, which he does his best to hide his distaste for when it arrives at the table. You are prepared to spend the remainder of the night eating without another word, but he shocks you by speaking up again.

"I should tell you I have begun planning a very large endeavour, which is part of the reason I decided to meet with you in the first place. I will be needing the assistance of Hakudo Real Estate."

"I see." You reply.

"I'm going to be purchasing as much of the land around here as possible. I'll need to negotiate with the mayor as well. Kaiba Corporation will own Domino City."

"What?" You drop your fork. Luckily, it only clatters lightly against the table and you recover without disturbing the entire restaurant.

"I want to own the city. I am going to host a Duel Monsters tournament using the city as a playing field."

You sputter, "that's quite a task you're attempting. You realize it's going to be–"

"Incredibly expensive? Possibly. Though I was hoping your family might donate some of its commercial properties as a sponsor…"

You stare at the ceiling. Of course your dream date has become a business negotiation. What else did you expect of Seto.

"I'll ask my father," you say.

"Good. I know I'm asking a lot but I have high expectations of you. If this goes according to plan I will have more work for you as well. I will get to host the tournament to end all tournaments, which is what I want, and you will work side-by-side with me, which is what you want."

You only nearly manage to avoid spitting out your drink. If you didn't know your intentions were so obvious, you would think he could read your mind.

"Well I'm glad we're being open with each other, at least," you sigh. "Fine. I'll do what I can to help you run this tournament. I guess that means we won't be participating though. Too bad, I've been practicing."

"I'll be participating. That's why I'll need your help."

"But let me guess, since I'm an inferior duelist…"

"I haven't had a chance to see your skills in some time. Have you improved?"

You sigh again. "It's irrelevant, I guess, since you don't plan on duelling me, do you?"

"I might change my mind if you can demonstrate skill. Although I have no need for a rival – someone has filled that role already, and I doubt you can best him."

"Let me guess–"

"I will beat Yugi in this tournament, and become the King of Duelists!"

You feel your face growing hot. He has declared his aim for victory so loudly that most of the restaurant is now staring at you. You avoid eye contact with any of the onlookers and proceed to finish your dinner as quickly as is politely possible.

Meanwhile, Seto takes his sweet time dining. You are forced to sit quietly and wait for him to be done. When he finally sets down his napkin on an empty plate, you sigh with relief.

He says, "I will settle the bill for this later, as is customary. We can leave right away."

You would protest his footing the bill, but you are both so wealthy that the manner of payment is almost irrelevant and any discussion of money would be embarrassing. Therefore you only nod and rise from your seat to exit the restaurant at Seto's side. You can feel the eyes of the remaining patrons on you as you leave.

When you come to the gate, you realize two cars are waiting for you instead of one.

"What's going on?" You ask.

"I took the liberty of arranging us separate rides home in advance. It's much more convenient, seeing as we aren't headed to the same place."

"I see."

"You sound disappointed."

"Well this isn't usually how a nice date would end…"

"Is that so. I would hate to end a successful business transaction on a negative note."

Suddenly, you feel the quick press of soft lips against your cheek. Before you can make sense of what's happening, he's gone, already climbing into one of the cars. You are left standing alone in front of the restaurant as his ride pulls away.

A ridiculous grin spreads across your face. You know it's a gimmick, but he still kissed you. The night is no longer so bad as it could have been.

"Miss, are you coming?" The driver of the remaining car calls to you. He is on the street holding the rear door open.

You slide into the car without another thought and caress your cheek the whole ride home.


End file.
